And ethan vialii



E. A. SUVERKROP AND E. VIALL. METHOD 0F AND MEANS FOR RIFLING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.19l8.

Patented July 22, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. SUVERKROP, 0F SEA GLIFF, NEW YORK, AND ETHAN VIALL, OF EASTORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application led .Tune 4, 1918. Serial No. 238,106.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD A. SUVER- Kizor, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sea Cliff', Long Island, New York, and ETHAN VIALL,a citizen of the United States, residing at East Oran e, New Jersey,have invented a new an useful Imrovement in Methods of and Means foritling Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of and means for forming the rifiinlands in guns, and while it can be adapte for rifing the barrels ofsmall arms it is more especially serviceable for cutting the riflinggrooves in the tubes of heavy ordnance, such as field pieces, anti-aircraft, coast defense and naval ns, particularly those pieces in which te rifling has a progressive twist.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple method and relativelyinex ensive means whereby the grooves may 'e cut either forwardly orbackwardly, as is considered most expedient, and the rifling landsformed very rapidly with any predetermined increasing or decreasing oruniform twist which is called for.

In attaining this end according to this invention all or a majority ofthe rifiiiig grooves are cut at the same time and completed orsubstantially nished by one continuous passage of the broachin toolthrough the gun, the gun bein he d stationary, the too] guide being he dfixed in the axis of the bore of the gun, and the breaching tool beinmade up of a plural number of indepen ent toothed cutters so formed andarranged that each cutter, as they are pushed through the bore of thestationary gun and follow the fixed guide therein, removes more of themetal than the preceding cutter, and thereby the roughing out andfinishing of the grooves proceeds coincidently.

In the accompanying drawings Fi re 1 shows a horizontal section of afiel n being treated according to this invention and a plan of one formof apparatus which may be used for practisin the invention. Fig. 2, onmuch larger sca e, shows a section of a short length of the gun with thegrooving cutters being ushed therethrough on the guide therein. ig. 3shows a transverse section on the lane indicated by the dotted line 3 3on Fig. 2, looking toward the front of the first toothed cutter, thatis, the one which makes the smallest cut. Fig. 4 shows a transversesection on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4-4 on Fig. 2, lookingtoward the back of the cutter that makes the largest or iinal cut.

In the views a common type of gun 5 is shown as mounted upon pillowblocks 6 to which the gun is firmly secured against movement of any kindwhile the riliing grooves are being cut. Extending longitudinallythrough the gun and some distance beyond each end is a circular shaft oruide bar 7. The bar is supported at its en s by standards 8 and is heldfirmly against movement with its axis coinciding exactly with the axisof the bore of the gun. Along the length of the bar are one or more,preferably two, grooves or guideways 9. These guide grooves are out on aspiral or twist having exactly the same pitch as the riing grooves to becut, and it is essential, if the rifling vtwist is progressive, that thebar be positioned lon 'tudinally in the bore so that at all points t epitch of the grooves will be the same as the predetermined pitch of therifling, for the grooves in the bar determine the twist of the cuts madein the wall of the bore of the gun.

Fitted upon and movable along this fixed guide bar is a broachin toolwhich consists of a plural number of independent toothed cutting blades10. These blades are separated by spacing washers or thrust collars 11of suitable material. The cutting blades are in the form of annulardisks and they have keys 12 that fit into the grooves in the guide bar.The outer ed es of these blades which make up the broac in tool areprovided with cutting teeth 13, esirably equal in number to all of therifling grooves to be cut in the gun. Those teeth are so ground and theblades are so located upon the guide bar that the advanced blade willmake sli ht cuts, as shown in Fig. 3, the next mailing increased cutsand so on, each blade increasing the cuts until the last blade completesthe rooves and forms the riding lands 14 to nished size and shape, asshown in Fig. 4.

In the apparatus illustrated these toothed disk-like cutting bladeswhich form the breach are forced through the bore of the sists insimultaneously fitting lead screws 18. These lead screws may be providedwith Worm Wheels 19 which may be turned by Worms on a shaft 20 that canbe driven b a motor 21. The views illustrate the rit ing as commencingat the muzzle and working toward the breech. It can, however, becommenced at the breech and worked toward the muzzle by simply mountingthe gun end for end and turning the guide end for end.

With the construction described each cutting blade is free to take sucha rotative movement as will be imparted by the grooves of the guide barWithoutinterfering with the different rotative movement necessarilytaken by the cutters from which it is separated by the spacing Washersor thrust collars, which is essential when the cutters are being pushedthrough the bore and the riding pitch is to be progressive, that is,increases in twist from breech to muzzle, or decreases in twist frommuzzle to breech, according to the method adopted of commencin theriding at breech or muzzle.

zreat power can be applied with such an apparatus asis illustr ted andas each cutter is required to cut but its own small section of thegrooves the cuts are clean and true, and the entire grooving can beaccomplished at the required itch by once forcing the broach through tiegun. As the guide bar is rigid in the bore ef the stationary gun andmerely has to guide the cutting blades the work can be accomplished veryrapidly Without great power but with exceedingly accurate results. Ofcourse, if desired, the cutters may be so ground that, to complete theritling, the broach may be passed through the bore of the gun more thanonce.

The invention claimed is;

1. The method of riing a gun which consists in mounting the gun in afixed osition, fixing a `guide bar in the bore o the gun with its axiscoinciding with the axis of the bore, and simultaneously. forcing aplural number of independent cutters having teeth of increasing sizealong` the gig-1de bar through the bore of the gun, and t roby at onecontinuous operation roughing and {inishing the riflin grooves.

2. The metho of riding a gun which consists in mounting the lgun in afixed osition, Xing a guide bar in the bore the gun with its axiscoinciding with the axis of the bore, and simultaneously advancing witha spiral movement a plural number-"of in dependent cutters having teethof increasing size along the guide bar through the bore of the gun, andthereby at one continuous operation roughing and 'finishing the -niinggrooves.

`2. The `method orf riling a gun which conforcng a plural number ofindependently rotatable cutters having teeth of increasing size throughthebore of the gun, and thereby at one continuous operation roughing andfinishing the ritling OOVBS.

4. The method of rifiing a gun which consists in simultaneously forcinga plural number of independently rotatable cutters having teeth ofincreasing size. through the bore of the gun and imparting a rotarymovement to the cutters as they are advanced, and thereby at onecontinuous operation roughing and finishing the rifling grooves.

5. The method of riling a gun Which consists in simultaneously forcing aplural number of independently rotatable cutters having teeth ofincreasing size through the bore of the gun and imparting an increasingrotary movement to the cutters as they are advanced and thereby at onecontinuous operation roughing and finishing the rifling grooves.

6. The method of rifling a gun which consiste in simultaneously forcinga plural number of independently rotatable cutters having teeth ofincreasing size through the bore of the gun and imparting from theinterior of the gun a rotative movement to the cutters as they advance,and thereby at one continuous operation roughing and finishin the riiingEgrooves.

The metho of rifling a gun Which consists in simultaneously forcing aplural number of independently rotatable cutters having teeth ofincreasing size through the bore of the gun, and thereby in onecontinuous operation forming rilin grooves in the bore which are deeperthan tie cut made by the first cutter.

8. The method of rifling a gun Which consists in simultaneously forcinga plural number of independently rotatable cutters having teeth ofincreasingr size through the bore of the gun, and guiding said cuttersfrom the interior of the gun and thereb in one continuous operationforming ri ing grooves in the bore which are deeper than the cut made bythe first cutter.

9. The method of rifling a gun which consists in simultaneously forcinga plural number of independently rotatable cutters through the bore ofthe gun and supporting said cutters in the interior of the gun.

10. The method of rifiing a gun Which consists in simultaneously forcinga plural number of independent cutters through the bore of the gun andsupporting and guiding said cutters from the interior of the gun.

11. The method of riiiin a gun which consists in simultaneously orcing aplural number of independently rotatable cutters with a rotativeadvancing movement throu h the bore of the gun.

12. sans for cutting riding ooves in the bore of a gun consisting of axed guide bar, a plural number of independent cutters movable along saidguide bar and given a rotative movement thereby, and means for movingsaid cutters alon said guide bar.

13. Means for cutting r' ing ooves 1n the bore of a gun consisting of axed guide bar, independent cutters having teeth of increasing sizemovable along said bar and guided thereby, and means for moving thecutters along the bar.

14. Means for cutting riling rooves in the bore of a un which consists oa spirally grooved i e bar, independent cutters movable a ong said guidebar and guided by said groove, and means for moving the cutters alongthe guide bar.

15. Means for cutting riing grooves in the bore of a gun consisting of axed grooved ide bar and a broach movable along said bar and guidedthereby, said broach consisting of a plural number of independent bladesprovided with cutting teeth of diii'erent sizes.

16. Means for cutting rifling grooves in the bore of a gun consisting ofa fixed guide bar, a lural number of independent cutters Inova le alongsaid guide bar and given a progressive rotative movement thereby, andmeans for moving said cutters along said guide bar.

17. Means for cutting riling ooves in the bore of a un consisting of aXed guide bar, indepen ent cutters havin teeth of increasing sizemovable along said bar and guided thereby, means separatin said cutters,and means for moving t e cutters along` the bar.

18. Means for cutting riding grooves in the bore of a gun consisting ofa fixed grooved guide bar and a broach movable along said bar and guidedthereby, said broach consisting of a plural number of independentcutting blades provided with teeth of different sizes and also providedwith keys fitting the grooves of the guide bar.

EDWARD A. SUVERKROP. ETHAN VIALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

